Download Ch 2 Sec 1 2012

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Chapter 2 Section 1
Mesopotamia
Between Rivers
Iraq today
Mesopotamia
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Mesopotamia
w  Tigris & Euphrates River Valley
w  Fertile Crescent
w  25 miles to 250 miles apart
w  Flood rich soil for agriculture
w  Not predictable, 90 day window
w  Not isolated
w  Revolving door- conquering then being conquered.
w  No natural barriers for protection.
w  Natural resources are limited. (building material
scarce)
Mesopotamia
w  Problems solved through organization
w Irrigation to control river and flooding
w City walls are built. (no natural protection)
w Traded crops with people for stone, wood
and metal (natural resources)
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Sumerian City States
w  5 key characteristics of a civilization
w (Ch 1)
§  Civilization = !
1. Advanced cities!
2. Specialized workers!
3. Complex institutions!
4. Record keeping!
5. Advanced technology!
§  Ur, Uruk, Kish, Lagash, Umma,!
§  (map pg 30)!
Sumerian Culture
§  Belief systems reflect civilization s triumph
over its dry and harsh environment
§  Polytheism = belief in more then one god
§  Enlil = god of storms and air.
§  Fear angering the gods might strike fire, floods or
enemy upon their city.
§  Built ziggurats for them and offered rich sacrifices
of animals, food and wine.
§  Work hard to earn god s protection
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Sumer - 3,000 BC
w  Architecture & Science
w  Arch - wheel, (60 seconds, 60 minutes, 360
degrees)
w  Temples = Ziggurats
w  Lunar calendar = added a month every few years
Sumer - 3,000 BC
w  Social Classes
w  Kings, landholders, some priest (highest level)
w  Wealthy merchants
w  Workers (hands in fields and workshops) Majority
w  Slaves (buy freedom)
w  Women had more rights then later civilization
(History is not kind to women)
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Sumer - 3,000 BC
w  Arithmetic and geometry
w  City walls, buildings plan irrigation systems and survey
flooded fields Sumerians required skills in math.
w  DEVELOPED A NUMBER SYSTEM IN BASE 60
w  60 seconds, 60 minutes, 360 degrees in a circle
w  Architectural innovations
w  Arch - columns, ramps and the pyramid shaped the designs of the
ziggurat (wheel),
w  Temples = Ziggurats
w  Cuneiform = system of writing (Ch 1)
w  Lunar calendar = added a month every few years
w  Farmed dates, grains,
w  Education very important (mainly men)
Chapter 2 Section 1
Empires of the Fertile
Crescent
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Akkadians
• 2350 Conqueror named Sargon
Conquered Sumerians
• Came from Akkad (city to north) =
Akkadians
• Last about 200 years
• Centered at Babylon
• Created first empire
•  Spread culture even more
Babylonians 2000 BC
§  Nomadic invaders known as
amorites invade mesopotamia
§  SE part of Valley
§  Hammurabi §  strong ruler§  political leader and lawmaker
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Babylonians 1792-1750 BC
§  Hammurabi §  strong ruler§  political leader and lawmaker
§  Lasting legacy is the code of laws
he put together
§  “Code of Hammurabi”
§  282 specific laws
§  “An Eye for an Eye”
§  Single uniform code of laws
§  Engraved in stone and copies place
all over the kingdom
Babylonians 1792-1750 BC
§  “Code of Hammurabi”
§  Code applied to everyone
§  Different punishments for rich and
poor
§  Retaliation (eye for an eye)
§  Government/complex institutions had
responsibility for what occurs in
society!
§  Eventually other civilizations adopt
these ideas (assyrians, phoenicians and
Isrealites)
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Other Conquerors
§  Hittites 1600 - 1200 BC
§  Invaded Mesopotamia and ended up in
Egypt as well (Ch 2 pp.25)
Other Conquerors
§  Hittites 1600 - 1200 BC
§  Invaded Mesopotamia and ended up in
Egypt as well (Ch 2 pp.25)
§  Iron Age - Smelt Iron
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Other Conquerors
§  Hittites 1600 - 1200 BC
§  Invaded Mesopotamia and ended up in
Egypt as well (Ch 2 pp.25)
§  Iron Age - Smelt Iron
§  Invaded not conquered
§  Defeated but did not have complete
control
Other Conquerors
§  Assyrians 1300 BC on outskirts
900-650 BC moving in and controlling
Came from Syria
Fierce Warriors- not nice, vicious
Violent, aggressive
Used chariot - Wheel
Introduced Cavalry (army on horses)
Got from point A to point B faster
than enemies
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Other Conquerors
§  Assyrians 1300 BC on outskirts
900-650 BC moving in and controlling
Came from Syria
Fierce Warriors- not nice, vicious
Violent, aggressive
Used chariot - Wheel
Introduced Cavalry (army on horses)
Got from point A to point B faster
than enemies
700 BC Captured and destroyed Babylon
Nineveh - capital city, huge double wall (70 ft high, 7.5
miles)
Library
Tablets out of clay
Epic of Gilgamish - one of the first
pieces of literature
Other Conquerors
§  Chaldeans - 612 BC
§  Also called Neo Babylonians
§  Nebuchadnezzer
§  Rebuild Babylon
§  One of his wives was from the mountain area so he
built her a garden, called the “Hanging Gardens”
**One of the Seven Wonders of the World
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Persians 539 BC
§  First Great complete empire
§  Present day Iran
§  Army - 300,000 - big
§  Built roads - trade
§  Treated people well
Persians 539 BC
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First Great complete empire
Present day Iran
Army - 300,000 - big
Built roads - trade
Treated people well
Conquered Mesopotamia
§  Smart - used locals on their side
§  Created Uniform system of weights and
measures
§  Alexander the Great defeated them
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Persians 539 BC
§  Cyrus the Great #86 out of 100
§  10,000 immortals - job is to protect
their leaders
Persians 539 BC
§  Cyrus the Great #86 out of 100
§  10,000 immortals - job is to protect
their leaders
§  Started longest reigning monarch
§  539 bc-1979AD
§  Overthrown by religious group- religious
revolution (American hostages)
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